One of the truly great things about working at TopRank Marketing are our clients. On a daily basis we get to connect with and solve marketing problems with some of the smartest marketers on the web.

Take for example, Amy Higgins, an ex-Googler that is now the Content and Social Media Manager for Concur SMB. Concur is an automated expense tracking solution that is growing by leaps and bounds. Amy is super smart, goal and customer focused, very nice to work with and highly networked.

While I could talk about the successful engagement we’re having with Amy and Concur, this interview will instead focus on Amy and her unique and valuable insights as an accomplished content and social media marketer. We need more Amys in our world!

The convergence of digital marketing and public relations has been in motion for many years, but in 2013 and onward, there’s more momentum than ever. Changes in technology and consumer behaviors in how information is discovered, consumed and acted upon has turned brands into publishers and publishers into marketers as they seek new ways to connect with audiences and monetize.

Don’t blink during this monumental shift or you’ll be left behind. That’s why it’s important to find trusted sources to guide your point of view to stay ahead in the digital marketing game.

With 27% of total U.S. internet time spent on social networking sites (Experian) and 55% of marketers spending more marketing budget on social media in 2013 (eMarketer), the momentum of the social web has clearly gained mass appeal.

Yet many executives I’ve talked to feel as if they are watching from afar versus playing in the game. Social participation, let alone integration, with current marketing and sales activities is unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

How can business executives gain confidence in deciding on the right social channels, platforms and tools? How can social technologies support and advance current marketing, communications and business goals?

In college I had a diverse group of friends, people that represented different interests and common experiences which made my time during those years a lot more fulfilling. Even better was that these different groups all came together fairly regularly for a themed event at a local watering hole. Connecting with diverse interests in a meaningful way has been a tremendous business advantage to this day.

When I attended my first BlogWorld conference in 2008, it was a similar experience in that there was a convergence of different groups: from new media/bloggers to public relations, to internet marketers to brands and business owners. The common experience of using blogs and digital content as a communication platform has brought a lot of people together in a way like few conferences have. I’ve made some of the most meaningful connections for my business and personal growth through BlogWorld, now known as NMX.

Customer preferences for information discovery, consumption and engagement have evolved in a way that requires marketers to adapt. In particular, B2B marketers have had to find new and innovative ways to communicate with customers over long sales cycles filled with digital distractions from smartphones, tablets, computers and other connected devices. Content types are equally diverse and can range from videos to white papers to infographics and even cartoons.

Tom Fishburne is the Founder and CEO of the wildly popular Marketoonist and in this interview, he’ll share a sneak peek into his B2B Marketing Forum presentation, the importance of storytelling, deciding on visual content and his prediction on the future of B2B Marketing and innovation.

We’re big fans of your work! Please describe how you become a “Marketoonist”. Did your journey really start with doodling on business cases at Harvard?

Determining why your company should engage in a social media plan is one of the first and most important steps. Working towards the “what” without the “why” can result in wasted time, money and set a B2B marketing program off track.

Next up in our B2B marketing innovation interview series is Mack Collier, a well known and respected social media strategist and trainer specializing in helping companies better connect with their customers via social media. Mack is also the force behind #BlogChat, the largest organized chat on Twitter.

In this interview, Mack dives into four things brands can do to cultivate and connect with fans, as well as well as three basic questions every marketer should ask themselves before embarking on a social media marketing program. He also offers sage advice on B2B marketing innovation and tools.

Building a solid marketing team and ensuring the company is on the same page with prospect and customer communications is essential for B2B marketing success.

In the 3rd interview of this week’s series on B2B Marketing Innovation, Monetate’s Rob Yoegel takes a deep dive into working with a team to create compelling content for more effective B2B marketing. From marketing on a shoestring budget to practical tips on being more innovative with B2B content, Rob gives a great overview on the importance of innovation for B2B marketing success.

Please tell us about your role at Monetate and the kind of B2B marketing work you’re most excited about there.

Finding a way to influence your prospects, customers, and company advocates is an essential part of doing business in today’s digital world. Finding different methods of creating influence is essential with complex purchasing processes often present with B2B marketing.

Fortunately, we have the insight of savvy B2B marketers who are out in the field, developing, testing and implementing best practices that are willing to share with our readers here at Online Marketing Blog.

To that end, next up in our series of B2B Marketing expert interviews is PTC’s Alan Belniak. As Director of Social Media Marketing, Alan focuses on product lifecycle management developing strategy and innovating the right mix of social media tactics to create influence and and value with their business customers.

As customers evolve and change the way that they find and consume information, marketers must innovate their approach to meet customers where they’re looking, especially in the social media world.

Business to Business marketing can involve many decision makers and sales cycles that take weeks or months. Navigating the mix of social content types for different customer segments over time can be a challenge. Luckily, we’ve picked the brains of some of the digital marketing’s world’s brightest to share their practical and innovative B2B marketing tips.

To that end, we visited with Amber Naslund, who is a business strategist with a strong focus on social media communication and community initiatives in the B2B Marketing arena. Amber is the co-author of The NOW Revolution, and her blog Brass Tack Thinking has been recognized for excellence in social media and community related content.

Relationships are essential for Content Marketing Secret Agents that need to develop critical assets to get missions accomplished. Take for example, the relationship between content and social media. Many would-be content marketing operatives separate their content marketing efforts from social media marketing. Unproven and disconnected strategies create costly mistakes and who has the time or resources for that?

In this final installment of our Content Marketing Secret Agent series, we have social media strategist and co-author of Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies, Amy Porterfield to share her best content marketing secrets for small and medium sized businesses to succeed online.

You have substantial experience as a social strategist and an author. How has your work with content marketing evolved and is all the buzz justified?

When in the field, Content Marketing Secret Agents can spend weeks or months on a particular project. Move too quickly and mistakes can be made, ruining an entire campaign. Or a premature withdrawal from an operation can compromise the full benefit of the effort.

That’s why patience is a virtue with content marketing operations. Experience tells us that patience and setting appropriate expectations are essential to gaining support and allowing a program to come to fruition. Curt Porritt is a veteran B2B marketer who is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for MasterControl and he knows all about the value of patience and understanding human nature to get approval and get things done.

You have substantial experience in the tech industry and with your current role as the SVP of Marketing for MasterControl, how has your work with content marketing evolved? Is all the hype justified?

In order for Content Marketing Secret Agents to work effectively, they need more than tactical skills. They need to see the bigger picture and the context for how and why things need to happen. Industry trends come and go but the need for brands to connect with customers will never go away. Special operatives are necessary for the kinds of activities necessary for specific missions, like those requiring certain kinds of content like video for better engagement.

Today we are fortunate to have Content Marketing Secret Agent Todd Wheatland, Vice President of Marketing and Thought Leadership at Kelly Services, help us navigate the strategic to the tactical and goals to measurement of content marketing.